The Los Angeles Wave Newspaper has reported that a young man involved in a DUI-fueled crash, which resulted in the death of college student, has been convicted of felony cocaine possession and second-degree murder.
G.A.V., 23, killed C.L., 20, during a hit-and-run car crash on February 14, 2010.
The jury reached it's verdict on June 30. G.A.V. was acquitted of one lesser charge: misdemeanor hit-and-run with property damage.
C.L.'s father, R.L., after the verdict said, "I'm glad justice was done" and her mother, J.L. added, "It won't bring her back so there's no good feeling or bad. But he won't be able to do this to anyone else for a long time."
Deputy District Attorney Jason Baez said, "(C.L.) died because Mr. (G.A.V.) did not want to be held responsible for his actions. And he was held accountable for his actions by this jury today."
The victim was a college student, interested in a modeling career, and a cancer survivor.
G.A.V. had been convicted of misdemeanor DUI once before, in December of 2006, at which time court officials warned him - more than once - that if his actions resulted in a death in a drunken driving crash he could be charged with murder.
Just before the incident occurred, G.A.V. backed his Toyota Tundra pickup truck out of the Taqueria Tapatia restaurant on First Street in Santa Ana. During the maneuver, G.A.V. struck another vehicle causing minor damage.
The jury found that there was not enough evidence to convict G.A.V. in that first crash.
From there, a passenger in the car G.A.V. stuck, M.S., confronted G.A.V. in an attempt to get him to stay at the scene of the accident and exchange insurance information with her.
Baez contended that G.A.V. refused M.S.'s request and fled the scene.
M.S. went back into the restaurant to get help from her boyfriend, T.H., who also asked G.A.V. to stop his car. T.H. pursued G.A.V in his vehicle but lost him.
G.A.V. dropped off his two passengers and was spotted again by M.S. and T.H. They flagged him a second time to stop, but he chose to speed away.
In his hurry to flee his pursuers, G.A.V. ran a red light at the intersection of Flower and Sunflower in Costa Mesa. It was then that he drove his car into the 2003 Toyota Corolla driven by H.N.
H.N. survived with minor injuries, but his passenger, C.L., died at the scene.
G.A.V. fled a third time and was found hiding in a housing complex nearby. Two hours after the crash his blood-alcohol test showed a content of .17 percent - more than twice the legal driving limit for California.
Police also found cocaine in G.A.V.'s pant's pocket. And, Baez continued, both alcohol and cocaine registered in his system.
His speed during the crash was recorded at 90 mph - in a 35 mph zone - by his truck's Event Data Recorder.
Daryl Thompson, G.A.V.'s attorney, had argued, "It's 2 in the morning in Santa Ana and Mr. (G.A.V.) thought they were gangbangers he was having problems with and he was scared."
If you have been charged with DUI, DWI, OUI or OWI contact a DUI attorney from our directory. Get started working on your defense soon if your charges have been compounded with hit-and-run, property damage and/or resulting in death.